Learn to render with Maquete

Hi, I’m Josh, the cofounder of Maquete. With Maquete, you can turn views from SketchUp and other modelling apps into photorealistic renders to share with your clients. For your first image, I recommend Guided render. It takes you through the materials, lighting and surroundings, step by step, so you can choose how your design should look. Once you have a render, use Adjust to change a material or try different lighting. Use Next View to show the same project from another angle. You can also turn your renders into short videos and keep your work together in Projects. Start with one clear image from your model. Open Guided render, and let’s create your first render.

Let's create your first render with Maquete. First, export an image from your modelling app or take a clean screenshot. Choose the camera angle you want in the finished render and hide any toolbars, menus and selection outlines. Open Guided render. I'm using Interior for this example. If you're working on an exterior, choose exterior at the top before uploading. The process is similar with options for the building materials, lighting and surroundings. Upload your image, not the model file. Maquete analyses your image and identifies the main surfaces. Review the materials that matter to your design. For this floor, I'm specifying light oak with a matte finish. You can choose a colour, upload a material reference, or reuse a material from your library. If you leave a surface unspecified, Maquete will interpret it for you. Next, choose the time of day and the lighting. Decide whether the artificial lights should be on. Add notes for anything specific, like a soft, warm glow from the floor lamp. If your view includes windows, describe what's outside or add a photograph of the actual view. You can also upload an inspiration image. Explain what you want to take from it, such as the lighting or atmosphere. Choose your image shape and resolution, then select Generate render. Save the result to a project. Use Adjust to make further changes, or Next View to show the project from another angle. Start with one clear image and let's create your first render.

Let’s bring your client brief, images, materials, specifications and feedback together in a Maquete project. For this example, I’m organising the living room we’ve been developing in our rendering tutorials. Open Projects and select New project. Give it a clear name. I’m calling this one Living room renovation. You can also choose a source image from your render history or upload one from your computer. This is optional, so you can create the project first and add an image later. Select Create project. Inside the project, you can edit the name, add a description and change the source image. I’m adding a short description of the room and the materials I want to use. Let’s start with Client briefing, where you can collect the information behind the design. Select Create briefing and choose Interior. Open Preview / Edit briefing to check the questions before sharing it. You can skip sections you don’t need and add style-reference images with short labels. Copy the client link and send it to your client. They can complete the briefing in their browser, explaining their spaces, preferences, routines and requirements. Once they submit it, open the responses to review their answers. Select Generate executive summary if you want Maquete to summarise the brief. You can also download a PDF or reopen the briefing so the client can update their answers. Use Create render to open Guided render with the submitted brief attached. Back in the project, let’s bring in our views. Under Images, select Add image. Choose a previous render or upload an image from your computer. I’m adding our original living-room render and another camera angle of the same space. When you finish a render elsewhere in Maquete, you can also add it to this project from the result screen. Give each image a useful name, such as Main living-room view or View towards the windows. Use the drag handle to arrange the images in the order you want. For a project with several spaces, select Add room. I’m creating a room called Living room. Use the Room dropdown on each image to assign it. These rooms are also available when you organise your specification tables. If a project contains a 360-degree panorama, you can open it and drag to look around. Here, I’m showing a separate panorama example, then returning to our living-room project. Next, let’s look at Project materials. Materials you explicitly specify in renders associated with this project can appear here automatically. You can also select Add material to choose a saved material, browse Maquete’s materials, upload a reference photograph, or specify a solid colour and finish. For this example, I’m keeping the light-oak floor reference with the project. If it’s already listed, there’s no need to add it again. You can remove materials that no longer belong in your specification. Now let’s turn our views into a presentation. Select New presentation. Maquete creates a starting deck from the project’s renders. Give it a title, then edit the slides. Use Add slide to choose a layout, such as a full image, image with text, two images, or a text slide. For this example, I’m placing the two living-room views together and adding a short explanation of the materials. You can add text and images, move and resize them, crop an image, change the background, and reorder the slides. Changes save automatically. When it’s ready, select Share and copy the link. Use Present to open the slideshow, or download a PDF. When you want feedback on specific views, return to the project, go to Client review and select Start client review. Choose the exact views you want the client to review. Add a title and a short message explaining what you want them to check. You can enter reviewers’ names and email addresses to send personal review links. Or leave the reviewers empty to create an open link you can copy and share yourself. If you’re still preparing the review, choose Save draft. When you’re ready, select Send for review. The review keeps the image versions selected for that round, so later project updates don’t silently replace what the client was asked to approve. Let’s open the client’s view. They can move between the images, approve a view, request a change, or leave a comment. For a specific detail, they can place a pin on the image and explain what needs attention. For example, our client is asking for dark walnut flooring. Back in the project, open the review to read the feedback. You can reply to comments, resolve them when they’re addressed, or dismiss a request that won’t be taken forward. To prepare an edit, select the relevant comments for one view and choose Create revision. This opens Adjust with the image and the selected feedback. Review the instruction and the proposed edit before applying it. When the result is ready, check the revised floor and the surrounding details. The revision is added as a new version of the same project image, and the selected feedback is resolved. Open Version history to compare the earlier versions. You can restore a previous version if needed, then return to the revised design. You can also select Update and choose a replacement manually without losing the earlier versions. Then create a New review with the updated views and send the next round. The earlier review remains available with its original versions and feedback. Once a round is approved, you can also create a presentation from that review to use those exact approved views. Now let’s organise the furniture, products and costs behind the design. Under Specifications and costs, choose Equipment schedule. This gives you a ready-made table you can use for furniture, lighting and other products, with images, descriptions, suppliers, quantities and prices. For this example, I’m creating a furniture schedule and calling it Living room furniture. You can paste a product page into Add a product from a link. Maquete attempts to fill in the available product details and image. Review what comes back, then complete or correct the fields yourself. I’m adding two lounge chairs, assigning them to Living room, and entering their quantity and unit price. You can also add a row manually, enter a description and supplier, attach a product image, and include a link. Here, I’m adding a side table. Choose the currency for the schedule. I’m using example prices in US dollars for this demonstration. The price total takes the quantities into account. To customise the table, select Add column and choose the type of information you need: text, a number, currency, a link, an image or a file. For example, I’m adding a file column and uploading a demonstration specification sheet. You can rename a column in its heading, drag its handle to reorder it, and drag the edge to resize it. Remove rows or columns you no longer need. Switch between Table and Schedule to see the information in different layouts. Changes save automatically. Check that Saved appears before leaving. When you’re ready to share the schedule, open Export and choose a PDF document, PNG image or CSV. If you prefer to build your own table, return to Specifications and costs and choose Custom schedule. For a visual summary of the design direction, return to the project and select Create moodboard. Choose Image collage for a composition of furniture, colours and references, or Real material board for a visual arrangement of physical-looking material samples. Maquete uses images already saved in the project as the starting references. Choose the format, resolution and background, then select Create moodboard. The result is saved automatically in the project, and you can download it. If you’re working with colleagues, open Team. Enter their email address, choose Viewer or Editor, and select Invite. Viewer access lets them see the project. Editor access requires a paid Maquete account, either through their own subscription or membership of an active paid team. Projects shared with you appear under Shared with me. Finally, use Activity to review recent project events, including renders, feedback, briefing submissions and presentation visits. Use Download zip when you want to download the project’s images together. On the Projects page, search helps you find a project. The Client review dashboard shows which projects are waiting for feedback, need changes, are ready to resend, or have been approved. When a project is finished, select Archive to move it out of your active list. You can find it under Archived and unarchive it later. Start with one project, collect the brief, develop your views, and keep the presentation, specifications and client decisions together as the work progresses.

Let’s edit an existing render with Adjust. Select Upload render. Choose an image from your previous renders or projects, or upload one from your computer. For this example, I’m changing the floor from light oak to dark walnut. Under ‘What should change?’, describe the edit in plain language. I’m writing: ‘Change only the floor to dark walnut with a matte finish.’ ‘Keep the furniture, walls, camera angle and lighting unchanged.’ Be specific about the area you want to change and what you want to keep. Start with one focused edit at a time. If you have a particular material in mind, upload a reference photograph. You can also select Choose a material to use a saved material, or browse Maquete’s materials, or specify a solid colour and finish. Explain how the reference should be used—for example, ‘Apply this material to the floor only.’ Select Send. Maquete reviews your request and chooses the editing method. If it asks a follow-up question, answer in the chat. Read Maquete’s summary of the proposed edit. If anything needs correcting, explain it in the chat before applying. When you’re happy, select Apply this change. Once the result appears, check the edited area and the surrounding details. You can download the result or continue with another change. Your next edit starts from the latest result, so you can build on the changes you’ve already made. The same workflow can change lighting, remove an object or reposition furniture. Just describe what you need. If you prefer to choose the editing method yourself, open Advanced. Start with one clear request, review the result and refine your design step by step.

Let's show the same project from another angle with Next View. Start with a finished render that captures the materials and lighting you want to keep. For this example, I'm using the interior we created in Guided render. In SketchUp, choose another camera angle of the same space. Export a clean image using File, Export, then 2D Graphic. Open Next View and select SketchUp view. Upload your new model image on the left. On the right, select your finished reference render from your previous renders or projects, or upload it from your computer. Select Analyse images. Maquete compares the images, identifies the surfaces in your new view, and suggests material matches. Review those suggestions. Accept the correct matches using Use original material or Use reference where available. For this floor, I'm keeping the same light oak finish as the original render. Specify any newly visible surfaces that matter to your design. You can describe a finish or add a material reference, answer any clarification questions that appear, if your view includes windows, review what should appear outside. Choose Same scene as reference where available or add a photograph or description. Next, open Lighting. Keep Use complete reference enabled and select Same project. This uses your reference to guide the established materials, lighting and surroundings. Your new model image defines the camera angle and architecture. Review the lighting settings and add any specific instructions. For this example, I'm keeping the same daytime lighting. Choose your image shape and resolution, then select Generate next view. Compare the result with your reference and model image. Check the finishes, lighting and architectural details, then save it to the same project. If you don't need a specific camera angle from your model, try AI decides. Upload a finished render, choose your image shape and resolution, then select Generate AI Viewpoint. Maquete will choose a new camera angle for you. Use SketchUp view when you want to show a specific angle from your model, and AI decides when you want to explore another viewpoint. Start with one clear reference and develop a consistent set of views for your project.

Let's bring a finished render to life with Humanize. You can add people, pets, or other elements to help show how a space might be used. Open Humanize and click the upload area. Choose an image from your previous renders or projects or upload one from your computer. Start with a completed render. For this example, I'm using our living room. Select Woman walking. Under position in scene, choose foreground, Midground, or background. I'm choosing background, so the woman appears behind the main seating area. Next, choose the direction. I'm selecting Across, so she walks across the image. Choose the clothing tones. I'm using neutral tones to keep the figure visually understated. Under motion effect, choose Motion blur for the appearance of someone captured while moving, or sharp for a clearly defined figure. For this example, I'm choosing Motion blur. Use additional note for more specific instructions. I'm writing, place her on the raised area by the windows, walking from left to right. Choose your image shape and resolution. I'm keeping the recommended shape to match the uploaded image. Select Add element. When the result appears, compare it with the original. Check the person's scale, placement, anatomy and shadows, along with the surrounding architectural details. The other presets include man walking, child playing and dog. For something different, choose custom and describe what you want to add. Let's try an exterior example. I'm uploading this house render, selecting custom and writing, add a cyclist wearing a helmet, riding from left to right across the foreground with natural motion blur. With custom, include the element, its position, and the details that matter directly in your description. Select Add element, then review the result. If you want another option, adjust your instructions and select Generate again. Each alternative starts from the uploaded image. Download the result you prefer. Start with one clear addition, choose a placement that suits the composition, and give your render a sense of everyday life.

Guided render walks you through materials, lighting and surroundings step by step. Fast render brings the main settings together on one page. Let's turn a model image into an interior render with Fast render. First, choose the camera angle you want in your modelling app. Export a clean image, or take a screenshot with toolbars, menus and selection outlines hidden. Open Fast render and upload your image, not the model file. Maquete uses your model image as the starting point for the architecture and materials. If you already have an approved render of this project, you can add it under reference render to guide the materials, lighting and atmosphere. This is optional. For a specific finish, go to Material references and select Add material reference. Upload a material photograph or choose one from your library, then explain where it should be applied. For this example, I'm choosing light oak from my library. I'm specifying floor only and adding Light Oak matte finish as the detail. Next, choose the time of day and the light quality. I'm selecting day and soft. Review the window treatment and artificial lights. For this example, I'm keeping no blinds selected and leaving the artificial lights off. If you want a particular view through the windows, you can upload a photograph and describe which window it belongs to. Use additional specifications for any other instructions. Choose your image shape and resolution. I'm keeping the recommended shape, which matches my uploaded image, and selecting 2K. Select Generate render. When the result is ready, compare it with your model. Check the materials, lighting, and architectural details. Download it or add it to a project. To revise a particular detail, continue in Adjust. To show another angle of the same project, use Next View. Start with one clear model image, add the details that matter and create your render.

Let’s set up the Maquete plugin and create a render directly inside SketchUp. First, go to maquete.ai/sketchup and select Download Plugin. The plugin works with SketchUp desktop, version 2021 or later, on Mac and Windows. In SketchUp, open Extension Manager and select Install Extension. Choose the RBZ file you downloaded and confirm the installation. Open Maquete.ai from the Extensions menu or the Maquete toolbar. Log in with your Maquete email and password. If you signed up with Google, first open Settings, then Account, on the Maquete website and set a password. Now open your model and choose the camera angle you want to render. The plugin takes the view directly from SketchUp, so you don’t need to export and upload an image yourself. For a still image, choose Still, then select Interior or Exterior. Choose your image shape. The frame appears in SketchUp so you can compose the finished shot. Select Create new scene and read materials. Or choose an existing scene and select Use scene. Review the materials found in this view. You can edit their descriptions, remove entries or add anything that needs explaining. For example, describe the floor as light oak with a matte finish. Next, choose the time of day and lighting. Add context for the view through the windows, or the surroundings of an exterior. Use Additional notes for anything specific your render should respect. You can also add a reference image to guide the palette and atmosphere. Choose your output resolution, then select Generate render. When the result is ready, check the materials, lighting and architectural details against your model. Select Save to download it. To revise the result, use Adjust this render. For example, ask to change only the floor to dark walnut with a matte finish, while keeping the furniture, walls, camera angle and lighting unchanged. Start with one focused change. Answer any follow-up questions and review the proposed edit. If anything needs correcting, explain it before applying. When you’re happy, select Apply change. Review the result. You can continue editing from the latest version, or reopen an earlier render from History. The plugin also helps you create 360-degree views. Position the camera where you want the viewer to stand, choose 360 degrees, and select Send viewpoint to Maquete. The plugin captures all six directions and opens the setup page in your browser. Review the capture there before generating your panorama. The Maquete plugin also includes tools to prepare your model in SketchUp, helping the AI understand your design more clearly before rendering. Let’s take a quick look. Clean View gives your model a cleaner presentation without changing its geometry. You can preview it, restore the original appearance, or save it to your scenes. Clean Selected Object softens unnecessary internal edges on selected model objects. Create LED adds a strip of light along a line in your model. Choose warm, cool or custom-colour lighting, then select Set light direction. Click and drag from the line towards where you want the light to reach, then release to create it. Mirror Surface creates a reflection on selected flat faces for your current camera view. If the face is inside a group or component, open it first. The reflection stays fixed while you move around. Use Refresh mirror view after changing the camera or model. Start with one well-framed scene, review the result, and develop your presentation from there.